Junior Amy Pelletier scored 16 of her game-high 23 points after halftime to help lead the Skyhawks comeback win. (PHOTO BY Emily Reynolds) |
Pelletier and Faieta combine for 43 as Skyhawks erase late nine point deficit
ALBANY, N.Y. (February 1, 2014) – Stonehill College overcame a 12 point second half deficit, including a nine point margin with 1:28 remaining to force overtime, and then scored 15 of the first 18 points in the extra session to storm to a 92-81 overtime triumph against The College of Saint Rose in Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball action at Daniel P. Nolan Gymnasium this afternoon.
Juniors Amy Pelletier (Beverly, Mass./Bishop Fenwick) and Tori Faieta (Lynn, Mass./Saint Mary's) combined for 43 points, with Faieta notching her fifth double-double of the season (12th career), to lead Stonehill to the comeback win. Pelletier scored 16 of her game-high 23 points (one shy of her career-best) after halftime as she finished shooting 8-for-16 from the field, including 5-for-11 from three-point range, and drained both free-throw attempts to go with four assists, two rebounds and two steals. Faieta netted 15 of her 20 points after the intermission to go with a game-high 11 rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots, shooting 6-for-9 from the field, including 1-for-2 from long distance, and converting 7-of-10 free-throws for the contest.
Senior Mary Louise Dixon (Wellesley, Mass./Wellesley) scored her entire 17 point haul after halftime, including a three-pointer at the end of regulation to force overtime, where she went on to add six points. She made 10-of-13 free-throws on the night and added seven assists and five boards. Sophomore Paige Marshall (Braintree, Mass./Braintree) contributed eight points, six rebounds and four assists, while junior Jamie Panton (Essex Junction, Vt./Essex) chipped in nine points on 3-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc.
Stonehill finished shooting 43.1-percent (28-for-65) from the field, including 53% (18-34) after halftime, drilling 9-of-16 (56.3%) three-pointers in the second half and canning 22-of-28 (78.6%) free-throws following the intermission. The Skyhawks made 12-of-15 (80%) free-throws in overtime to go with 3-for-4 shooting from the field. Saint Rose shot 41.5% (27-65) from the field overall, but just 3-for-9 (33.3%) in overtime after connecting at 42.9% (12-28) in both the first and second halves. The Golden Knights drilled 10-of-18 (55.6%) three-pointers, including 6-for-8 (75%) in the second half, but just 1-of-4 (25%) in the extra period, and made only 17-of-29 (58.6%) free-throws, including 11-for-22 (50%) after the intermission. Saint Rose held a 20-9 advantage in second chance points despite Stonehill posting a 43-42 rebounding edge.
Junior Tori Faieta posted her 12th career double-double to help lead the Skyhawks. (PHOTO BY Jan Volk/SportsPix) |
Junior Jamie Hutcheson (Ancaster, Ontario/Bishop Tonnos) led four Saint Rose players in double-figures with 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 4-for-7 from three-point range, to go with eight rebounds, six assists and two steals. Junior Gabie Polce (Chelmsford, Mass./Central Catholic) added 15 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals, while classmate Jess DeNicola (Massapequa, N.Y./Long Island Lutheran) contributed 12 points and seven boards. Freshman Staci Barrett (Elmont, N.Y./Long Island Lutheran) chipped in 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field while converting both free-throw attempts to go with three rebounds and a steal in 23 minutes off the bench.
Stonehill trailed by nine (71-62) after Polce made one of two free-throw attempts with 1:28 remaining in regulation. The Skyhawks held Saint Rose to just 1-of-6 shooting from the field over the final 5:38 to fuel the comeback, with a DeNicola layup at the two minute mark the lone Golden Knights basket after she had a three-point play at the 5:38-mark. The Skyhawks put Saint Rose on the line, but the Golden Knights went just 3-for-8 from the stripe in the final minute and a half to open the door, missing three straight during one stretch in the final minute.
Pelletier connected with a jumper and then Dixon canned two free-throws to pull Stonehill back within five (71-66) with 44-seconds remaining. Senior Desiree Simmons (Newark, N.J./Malcolm X Shabazz) made one of two free-throws at the other end and then Dixon drew the Skyhawks within four (72-68) with 35-seconds to play. Polce split a pair of free-throws to give Saint Rose a five point edge (73-68) with 19-seconds left, but Pelletier drained a three-pointer with 11-seconds left to make it a one possession game (73-71). Polce split the free-throws at the other end again with eight seconds on the clock and then Dixon forced overtime with her first three-pointer of the game with two seconds left.
Stonehill took charge in overtime from the outset, scoring 15 of the first 18 points to win going away. After Polce drilled a three-pointer to knot the score at 77-77 a minute and a half into the extra period, the Skyhawks reeled off the next 12 points. Stonehill went 8-for-9 from the free-throw line during that stretch, including a three-point play from Marshall with Dixon adding a jumper as she scored five points and Faieta chipped in four during that stretch. Barrett made two baskets over the final 44-seconds, but it was too little too late as the Skyhawks made three of four free-throws in the last 43-seconds to seal the win.
Saint Rose trailed just once early in the first half and led by as much as ten twice in the opening frame before settling for an eight point (33-25) halftime lead. The Golden Knights ran the lead to 12 (40-28) with a Hutcheson three less than two minutes into the second half. The Saint Rose lead was still ten (46-36) after another Hutcheson triple with 16:55 remaining when Stonehill scored eight straight, sparked by back to back three-pointers from Panton, to cut the lead to two (46-44) with 15:26 remaining.
Saint Rose pushed the lead to eight (59-51) with a three-pointer by senior Brittany O'Shea (West Sand Lake, N.Y./Averill Park) with 8:14 remaining. Stonehill scored six straight, four from Faieta, to trim the lead to two (59-57) again with 6:37 on the clock before the Golden Knights went on to claim a nine point cushion (66-57) after two Simmons free-throws with 4:39 to play.
Stonehill (13-5, 10-4 NE-10) returns to action on Wednesday when it visits Merrimack College for a Northeast-10 matchup at 5:30 p.m. The Skyhawks return to Merkert Gym next Saturday, February 8, to host Saint Michael's College for their Play 4 Kay Game for Breast Cancer Awareness at 1:30 p.m. Saint Rose (9-11, 4-10 NE-10) visits American International College on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
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